Shopping Rant

I am the primary grocery shopper of the house. Lem is great to run to the store for one or two things, but if it's a big shopping trip stocking up the shelves, he just doesn't do well thinking outside the list (get it, like outside the box.. but.. oh nvm why do I bother..).

Perhaps I am not like your typical woman. I hate shopping. I hate clothes shopping. I hate grocery shopping. I hate having to figure out a menu for the next week or two, figuring out the ingredients I need, and then I really hate having to actually GO to the store and do the shopping. Don't get me started on spending money. UGH.

After being traumatized by all of this, I then have to face the Shopping Cart Guilt Trip. You all know what I'm talking about. You load all your groceries into the car, and then you have this empty shopping cart. Now obviously if I'm parked next to, or perhaps one space away from, the little shopping cart corral thingie I have no problem with sticking the cart in there and being on my merry way. But here in Washington, apparently parking lot space is at a premium because they have TWO whole cart corrals in the entire big parking lot. I kid you not.

And the spots near them are always nabbed by those early morning shoppers who apparently camped out overnight just so they could grab those coveted spots near the cart corrals. They're evil, I'm telling you.

My oldest son worked for a large grocery store chain awhile back. He was also one of the kids responsible for gathering up all the carts in the lot and dragging them either to the corrals or into the store. At the time while he was slogging through sleet and slush and YUCK and doing this, I had pity for him and was very very good about returning my cart into the cart corral, regardless of the store. Now, I have a husband who is such a BOYSCOUT. I mean it in the most loving way, but he will (I swear to God) truck that little cart all the way across the state if necessary, in the pouring rain, to get it back to it's little home. And.. apparently everyone in this state feels the same way cause there are NEVER any carts in the parking lot, and I never see any little store kids out gathering them up.

So now I have the guilt of having seen my son busting his butt gathering carts, I have my husband's silent example admonishing me to do the right thing and bring the cart back and worst of all I have PEER PRESSURE of all the other shoppers who apparently are all goody-goodies and put their carts back.

I've decided if I could have a Somewhat Convenient Power (see http://temerity-jane.com/?p=2294) then it would be the power to Return My Shopping Cart To The Cart Corral. With a wave of my hand the cart would magically POOF! Over into the Cart Corral in a neat orderly fashion stacked with the other carts already there. How cool would that be?!!

-Del